title: Acute hepatitis induced by alpha-interferon, associated with viral clearance, in chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: We describe the cases of two patients with chronic hepatitis C who developed acute hepatitis with marked amino-transferase elevations and jaundice 3 and 5 months after initiation of interferon treatment. Hepatitis resolved rapidly after cessation of interferon. No autoantibodies were detected. Hepatitis was followed by viral clearance, demonstrated by clearance of hepatitis C viraemia. We propose that hepatitis may be due to an immune lysis of hepatocytes and suggest that this immune response may contribute to viral clearance.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherches de Physiopathologie Hépatique (INSERM U 24) Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cervoni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Degos
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marcellin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erlinger
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins